A composer and music theorist, he studied with Carlo Mosso at the Conservatory of Alessandria and specialized with Azio Corghi at the Accademia Internazionale Santa Cecilia in Rome. Author of more than 120 compositions, between 1996 and 2015 he won thirteen first prizes to International Composition Competitions. Colla prefers the creation of extensive symphonic works, performed from some of the most celebrated orchestras: Chicago, Los Angeles, Saint Louis, Albany, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Mozarteum, Bayerischen Rundfunks, RAI, Santa Cecilia... In 2002 theopera opera Il processo was staged by the Teatro alla Scala and ITeatri di Reggio Emilia; revived in 2004, in German, by the Kiel Theater. Luciano Berio commissions him a piece for choir and large orchestra for the inauguration of Renzo Piano's Auditorium to Rome. In 2006 CEI commissioned him to write an oratorio, performed by the Arena di Verona ensembles, for voice, five soloists, three choirs, large orchestra and harmonic lights. Appointed compositeur associé of the Orchestre National d'Île de France in Paris from 2012 to 2014, he composed the _Symphonie des Prodiges _directed from Enrique Mazzola at the Salle Pleyel in 2013. In 2015 he won the Barlow Prize from Brigham Young University in Utah and received the commission for Ode by the Earth (Symphony No. 4), to be performed by the San Antonio, Utah and Beijing Symphony. In 2016 he wrote the _Symphony No. 5 (The restlessness of being human) _and, commissioned by the MiTo Festival, he orchestrated the _op. 118 No. 2 _by Brahms. Published from Casa Ricordi, he is a tenured lecturer in Composition at the Sassari Conservatory of Music.

He graduated in principal piano at the G. Donizetti Conservatory of Bergamo and graduated in Law at the State University of Milan with a thesis on the working relationship between Opera Bodies and artistic masses. After a four-year professional experience as Artistic Director of the TV channel Tele+ 3 Classica, in the year 2000 he joined the Accademia del Teatro alla Scala, where he was artistic coordinator for two years. In 2002 he is called to to be part of the Artistic Direction of the Teatro alla Scala where he will remain until the end of 2011 with the title of Head of the daily activity of the Theater. During those years he had the opportunity to follow the rehearsals of opera productions, ballets and symphony concerts, working daily alongside the great masters and directors who worked at the Theater during those years. From 2012 to 2016 he held the position of Artistic Director at the Fondazione Arena di Verona, and since November of the same year he has been appointed Artistic Director of the television channel Classica HD, broadcast on the Sky television platform. From the artistic partnership with Piero Maranghi took shape the directorships of Verdi's Aida at Teatro Coccia in Novara (2016) and that of _Manon Lescaut _by Puccini at Teatro Massimo Bellini in Catania (2017).

He is managing director and director of Classica Italia, a company that is part of the international Classica Germany Network, which runs the Classica HD TV channel broadcast on the Sky platform. In 2008, with Skira partners, he launched Skira-Classica, a concessionary company of Teatro alla Scala. Since 2003 he has been director of the Foundation named after architect Piero Portaluppi. In 2015 he oversaw the restoration of Leonardo's Vineyard from Vinci and the opening of the Casa degli Atellani to the public. As a film producer he has recently made two docufilms, distributed in cinemas around the world: "Teatro alla Scala. The Temple of Wonders" and "Leonardo from Vinci. The Genius to Milan" and a film dedicated to Roberto Bolle "Roberto Bolle. The Art of Dance" and one dedicated to architect Piero Portaluppi "The Amateur." Currently in production is "Max & Maestro," a cartoon series, with the extraordinary participation of Daniel Barenboim. The series is co-produced from RAI, France Télévision and HR, one of the regional stations of German TV. From the artistic partnership with Paolo Gavazzeni took shape the productions of Verdi's Aida at Teatro Coccia in Novara (2016) and Puccini's Manon Lescaut at Teatro Massimo Bellini in Catania (2017).